Method of lifting and perforating brick.



R.C. PENFIELD. METHOD OF LIFTING AND PERFORATING BRICK.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29, 1912- ]Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

R. C. PENFIELD.

METHOD OF unuvc AND PERFORATING BRICK.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29,1912.

' Patented Apr. 3, 1917 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

lmmm

RAYMOND C. PEE'FIELJD, 015 NEW YORK, N. Y.

METHOD OF LIFTING AND PEREOE:

specification of Letters Patent.

'rrrie Baron.

Patented Apt. a, rare.

Application filed November 29, 1912. Serial No. 733,979.

This invention relates to a novel method of lifting, transporting and handling unburned clay. articles, brick, or the like.

My invention is especially applicable in the manufacture of wire-cut brick, wherein one or more streams of brick material are formed from a usual die and said streams are cut into appropriate lengths or widths by a suitable wire-cutting reel, the brick material then being in the form of separate green bricks. After being so formed it is customary to pile the green brick into an open formation suitable for drying and to transfer such brick to a drier, from whence they are taken to the kiln for the subsequent burning operation. Heretofore mechanical lifters to engage and lift the green brick from' the off-bearing belt as soon as the same had beian formed by the cutting reel, have been employed, which lifters either clamp the brick on each side with sufficient clamping force to lift it, or which act to insert a rod or arm below the brick to lift it from underneath. This method of lifting green brick has been objectionable, because such brick were soft and were apt to be distorted by the clampingaction, or through being lifted by a small rod or arm engaging the undersurface, as well as being slow, cumbersome, and capable of operating upon a comparatively small number of brick at one time. Such prior lifters also have required considerablemechanism .to actuate the brick engaging devices, and were necessarily com plea; in construction.

To obviate the difficulties above noted, l[ have devised a novel method of hacking brick mechanically directly from the 0dbearing belt by lifting the green brick solely from the top by piercing the brick with needle-like devices. I have discovered that such green brick could be easily, readily and safely lifted by means of engaging devices which could be operated entirely from the top surface of the brick, lifting such brick trated in Fig. 3.

from the off-bearing belt without danger of distorting the form, and without the necessity of clamping devices to engage the bottom or sides of such brick. By working entirely from the top surface, a much simpler apparatus may be employed and greater speed and efliciency in mechanically hacking the green brick is possible.

In carrying out my novel method, I preferably employ means to engage such brick from the top surface only, consisting in a plurality of needles or wire-like members of relatively small diameter, which may. easily pierce the green brick from the top surface, and which will act to lift each brick when the apparatus carrying such needles is lifted. Preferably also I so arrange the lifting wires or needles that they will penetrate the brick at an angle, or in a curved path, so as to insure a better lifting grip and therefore to enable a needle of relatively small diameter to be successfully employed as the brick engaging device. By means of such a brick engaging device a lifting apparatus of any suitable width, covering a number of parallel streams of brick material may be used and of any suitable len h, thus being adapted to mechanically li t a relatively large number of green brick from the off-bearing belt of the brick making machine at a single operation. By having such mechanical lifter work entirely from above the brick, it is possible to employ a simple and strong device and to handle the same easily and expeditiously. I believe that a brick lifting apparatus adapted to lift brick by penetrating devices entering the brick, and preferably entering each brick from the top surface only, is a distinct novelty in the art to which this invention relates, and l[ desire to claim the same broadly.

Referring to the drawings, wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrating a device suitable to practise my novel method, is shown,

Figure 1 is a side view of a lifting apparatus in position to lift a row of brick;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the device for lifting a single brick;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the apparatus illustrating the lifter applied to brick in four parallel rows; and v Fig. 4.- is'a plan view of the portion illus- In the preferred embodiment of my .in-

ranged to enter the top-surface of a green brick near opposite ends of the brick, which needles are swung in a curved path, so that the opposite needles approach each "other and thus secure a firm hold upon the brick material, so as to lift it when the entire apparatus is raised and to hold each brick in its relative position during such lifting and mechanical hacking.

Referringto Fig. 1, a suitable framework is shown, comprising parallel longitudinal bars 1 and 2, rigidly secured to uprights and carry a hook 6 or the like, by means of which the entire apparatus may be lifted by a crane or tackle. Bolted to the bars 1 and 2 are a plurality of depending brackets 7 and- 8, arranged in pairs, as shown in Fig. 3, and each pair carrying a transverse shaft 9,which serves as a pivot on which the needle carrying arms may rotate. Secured to the brackets 7 and 8, or formed integrally therewith, is a plate or stripper 10 with its lower surface in a horizontal plane and adapted to' rest directly upon the top surface of the brick to be lifted. This stripper 10 is of suitable length to cover the entire width of the streams of brick material which the apparatus is designed to engage, and at one end is provided with a guard 11 to facilitate the accurate positioning of theapparatus upon the brick.

to be lifted. I preferably employ a plueach brick, and have found that by arranging said needles in pairs at either end of the brick to be lifted, that said needles may be of comparatively small diameter and yet will secure a firm hold upon the brick material. By making such needle lifters heavier or flattened, and somewhat spearlike, it is feasible to engage and liftbrick by means of a less number than four such lifters as illustrated in the drawings. The width of the stripper 10 issuflicient to secure a firm bearing upon the top surface of the brick with which it is in contact, without covering-all of the brick surface, although if desired the stripper could cover the entire top surface, and the lifting needles could work through holes therein. The strippers facilitate removal of the lifting needles by holding the brick firmly in position while the needles are withdrawn, and serve as guards when the-needles are in inoperative. position. Pivotally mounted on each shaft 9 is a pair of arms, each ,in the form of a bell crank lever, two of such arms i i being indicated at 12 and 13, in Figs. 2, 3,

and 4:. The arms have laterally extending lower flanges14 and 15 respectively, of suitable length to span the four streams of brick material, and secured to the' lower portion of each arm are a plurality of needle lifters 3 and 4, which are united to a cross-bar 5,.

rality of lifting needles adapted to engage 16, held in their respective locations by clamps 17, pivoted at 18 to the flanges. The needles 16 are preferably curved in'the arc of a circle, having the same radius as the distance of the edge portion of the flange, to which they are respectively secured, to the shaft 9, so that as said arms 12 and 13 are rocked. upon the shaft 9, the needles 16 will follow a similar arc of movement to that of the flanges 1 1 and 15. It will be understood that as the arm 12, for example, is moved to the left in Fig. 2, and the arm 13 to the right, the needles 16 will be lifted above the lower surface of the stripper 10. Then when the stripper 10 is lowered in position upon the top surface of a green brick, and the arms 12 and 13 moved respectively in opposite directions, the needles 16 will pierce the brick from their top surfaces and continue to penetrate the brick material until the arms 12 and 13 reach the limit of their movement, or until the lateral flanges 14 and 15 respectively, contact with the top of the stripper 10. In this position the lifting needles are firmly in engagement with the green brick,- and as the apparatus is lifted, the brick will be carried upwardly with it. When the brick is transferred to the car or other desired position, by moving the lever arms 12a'nd 13 in a direction to withdraw the needles 16 from engagement with the brick, the stripper 1O acts to hold the brick firmly in its relative position during such releasing action, and when the needles are withdrawn the apparatus may then be freely lifted from the brick and the operation repeated. The'lever arms 12 and 13-may be operated by hand, but I have provided means to operate the entire series of such levers in a lifting apparatus simultaneously,and by a single movement. It will be understood that brackets 7 and 8, pivot 9, and a pair of oppositely acting levers, similar to those just described, are arranged in suitable position to engage each successive brick longitudinally of the apparatus, which the apparatus is intended to be capable of lifting. Each such pair of levers may be of sufficient length transversely of the entire apparatus to cover the several streams of brick material, as already explained. Pivoted to the upper portions of each arm 12, operating the right hand needles 16, (viewing Fig. 1,) at. 19 is a bar 20, and this barhas attached thereto a link 21, pivoted ,at22 to the piston 23 of a compressed air or hydraulic cylinder 24, which cylinder may be conveniently pivoted at 25 to the framework of the apparatus. Movement of the piston 23 will act to reciprocate the bar 20 and to operate all the levers. 12 at the same time, thus forcing the needles at the right hand end of each brick into the top surface ofthe brick, or withdrawing them therefrom, as will be readily undermenace spending link 28, piston 29 and cylinder 30 are provided to similarly actuate the bar 26. [Both the cylinders 24 and 30 may be operated simultaneously to either force the lifting needle 16 into engagement with the top surface of the brick to be lifted, or to release such needle lifters when it is desired to free the apparatus from the brick.

The operation of my lifting device is very simple and efficient. The'apparatus is swung by means of a lifting crane orthe like into position over the four streams of brick material, as the same are being conveyed by the off-bearing belt from the wirecutting devicefthe guard 11 being swung into engagement with the side of one row 31 of the green brick, and the entire device may then be quickly lowered until the stripper 10 on each bracket rests upon the top surfaces of the other streams of brick 32, 33, and 34, a sufficient length of brick material to suit the length of the apparatus having first been permitted to form on the ofi' bearing belt of the brick making machine. Whenso positioned, the needles 16 are in raised position, so that their respective points are abovethe face of their adjacent strippers 10. Thereupon the pistons 24 and 30 are simultaneously actuated by a supply of compressed air, or any suitable means (not shown), and the bars 20 and 26 are simultaneously moved in opposite directions and the series of levers pivoted to each bar are rocked upon their respective pivots 9, so that the series of needles 16 will be forced into the green brick until in holding position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The apparatus may. then be lifted and the entire series of brick in all four streams of brick material, and throughout the entire length of I the apparatus, will be simultaneously lifted from the off bearing. belt, and transferred to another position, such as on the car or platform to be moved into the drier. When deposited in the new location, the pistons are moved in reverse direction andthe needles 16 are simultaneously withdrawn from the brick material, each stripper 10 serving to hold the brick engaged by it firnily .in position during the removal of the needle iifters. Thereupon the entire apparatus may be raised from 'the brick and be swung over the off bearing belt to repeat the operation when a sufficient number of brick for its length are ready to be lifted.

By means of this method of lifting brick I entirely from the top surface,l-am enabled to facilitate the mechanical hacking operation, as it is much easler and speedier to above, as it is a simpler method of bothpicking up and depositing the brick so lifted. Also great speed in such mechanical hacking is ossible in handling the successive rows of brick entirely fromabove, and consequently the entire brick making operation' is greatly accelerated. These advantages will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, and the importance of handling such brick from above, over former methods of side clamping and lifting by engagement of the brick from underneath, will be apparent. Also by means of my apparatus, I am enabled to lift at one time a very great number of green brick, the power of the cylinders 24 and 30 and the number'of pairs of needle lifting levers being only limited to having the length of the entire apparatus too unwieldy for the best and speediest operating.

While my invention is mainly intended for mechanically hacking by handling the brick entirely from above and through engagement of the needle lifters at the top surface only of the brick, yet I believe that handling brick by means of wire-like members or needles adapted to penetrate the brick and to hold and lift such brick thereby, is,broadly new, and I Wish to claim this feature broadly. It would be feasible to engage each brick by means of the needle lifters arranged to enter at either side, for example, or either end of the individual brick, and also to operate such needles in a manner other than on the arc of a circle. My invention also contemplates the use of straight needle lifting devices, which may conveniently be operated in slides and positioned to pierce the brick material at an angle of 15, for example, and thereby secure a firm lifting engagement upon the brick. The provision ofthe stripper 10 is of considerable importance, as this insures the accurate piercingof the brick by the needle lifters adjacent each stripper, and also facilitates the removal of the needles while serving to prevent distortion of the green brick during the entire operation. As the needles employed may be of relatively small diameter, the holes left in the top surface of the brick after withdrawal of the needles 16 may be scarcely noticeable, and this face of the brick may be turned in-' wardly or buried in plaster or mortar, so that the brick thus lifted are inno way defaced, marred or rendered undesirable. A further advantage of great importancev in this method, and an advantage incident to the use of the apparatus herein described, is that successive rows of brick may be piled cl'osely' adjacent or 'even in touch with a preceding row, theentire apparatus which lifts the brick-from the top only, not occupying any space on the side or end of the brick so lifted, other'than that required for the small thin guard 11 upon one side.

I do not claim such brick with the perforations herein as an article of manufacture, as this part of my invention forms the subject matter of a copending application.

Having described .my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is: p

The method in manufacturing brick, of simultaneously forming plaster-receiving perforations therein, and lifting the green brick, which consists in moving a lifting apparatus,- carrying a plurality of needle-like members into position over a plurality of .green brick, engaging a plurality of said green brickby forcing said needlelike members into each brick to be lifted and perforated, then moving the lifting devices and green brick carried thereby, and thereafter lowering said brick upon a support and withdrawing the needle-like members leaving the plaster-receiving recesses formed therein.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

- RAYMOND C. PENFIELD.

\Vitnesses:

S. K. SMART, C. P. Mnu'rnus. 

